Note - Taking Series Part 1: The One Skill to Rule Them All
SaveWith so many different ways to take notes and no consistent guidance on which methods work best for the task, students must figure it out on their own. While I can’t tell you which note-taking technique is the one to rule them all, I have some professional opinions.
By Patricia Roy
Here's a hot take:
Note-taking is an intellectual skill equal in importance to whatever it is you’re taking notes on
Change my mind.
As a student, I always took notes. In the 80s, it was unheard of not to bring a notebook — or a Trapper Keeper! — to each class. Nowadays, students have many options for note-taking, including laptops and mobile devices with note-taking apps, like GoodNotes, Notability, Evernote, Apple Notes, and many more.
With all those options, students should be taking fantastic notes, right?
Imagine my surprise when I first began to notice students not taking notes at all, relying instead on (yikes) my materials or (bigger yikes) their memories. I was even more dismayed when I saw the notes they did take — weak, disorganized, and often missing important points.
Sometimes students tried to write every word I said verbatim. How exhausting!
Sometimes students tried to write every word I said verbatim. How exhausting!
Studies show that students who try to record lectures verbatim actually miss more than students who only write down the main points. This probably has to do with the quality of engagement with the material. When taking notes, you are selecting and reinterpreting in your own words. The same studies also suggest that using a computer for notes encourages verbatim note-taking.
The horror.
With so many different ways to take notes and no consistent guidance on which methods work best for the task, students must figure it out on their own. While I can’t tell you which note-taking technique is the one to rule them all, I have some professional opinions.
Handwritten vs. Typed Notes?: Handwritten, please!
Given that today's sleek and powerful laptops are nearly as light as a stack of notebooks, why shouldn't we toss the notebook aside?
The answer lies in what students can do with the notes they take. One prominent study found that while students who wrote notes by hand and those who typed performed equally well with retention of facts, "laptop users did significantly worse in answering follow-up questions based on conceptual application of the information presented" ("Handwritten vs. Typed Note-taking" College of Graduate Studies, Tennessee Tech).
This means that students who took handwritten notes gained a deeper understanding th an students who typed their notes.
There are several possible reasons for this. The most obvious to me is the distracting nature of the technology itself. Moreover, the research suggests that when we are handwriting, the brain is more active, aiding memory and higher-order thinking.
A notebook and a pen distract much less than a device that provides the Internet. But, in my opinion, it's not even the notifications and interruptions that cause the problem; it's the inherent binary nature of the computer itself.
Here's what I mean. While writing on a device, I'm constantly reconsidering my organization, which I don't seem to do as much when writing on paper. It is easier to scratch something out or write in any direction, style, or size with pen and paper than to do these things in the binary world of a computer. On paper, if ideas are related in a weird way, it's easy to draw a line or a circle to capture that relationship and fix any errors later.
Moreover, the linear format of text editors — the fundamental technology behind any software you type with — forces strict hierarchical thinking without room for different relationships between ideas. Even applications that attempt to make room for different types of associations still requires the user to be aware of those needs before note-taking happens, which isn’t how it works in real life.
Real life is messy.
Essentially, my attempts to organize while listening to or watching a lecture distract me from the topic, and I miss some of the material. All those headings, font changes, and tangents require extra clicks or moves on the keyboard — none of which is required by the pen. With pen and paper, I move my pen, and voila! Done.
The very simplicity of handwritten notes recommends them over even the most basic note-taking app.
While it is true that people probably type faster than they write, speed is not the only measure of success. The whole point of note-taking is remembering and then applying and expanding upon the material. In part one of this note taking article series, we’ve discussed the importance of handwritten notes. In part two, Tricia covers two methods of notetaking that move students away from verbatim work — the Cornell Method and Mind Mapping. Finally, part three covers the best note taking apps. Stay tuned!
Patricia Roy
Patricia Roy is a writer and professor who has helped students succeed for over 25 years. She started her career as a high school English teacher and then moved into higher education at Tuition Rewards member school, Lasell University in Newton, Massachusetts. Her practical guidance and enthusiasm motivate and inspire students to fearlessly explore their own passions. Professor Roy is also a freelance writer and published poet.Articles & Advice
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